Peru workers strike traps 100s of tourists Saturday, February 23, 2008 06:05 [IST]Lima: Hundreds of tourists were trapped near the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu as a workers strike against private development entered its second day and paralyzed Cuzco's airport, transportation officials have said.

"We deplore this inconvenience which can interfere with passenger travel and tourism but we think it would be worse to open the airport under these conditions," said Deputy Transportation Minister Carlos Puga yesterday.

The airport at Cuzco, the staging city for travel to the mountain-top citadel, was expected to reopen today, unless the demonstrations continued, Puga said.

The Cuzco regional workers federation called Thursday for workers to block key roads in the city for 48 hours, forcing the shutdown also of rail access to Machu Picchu, Peru s leading tourist attraction.

Around 500 protesters yesterday blocked streets and access roads in Cuzco as part of the demonstrations, called against a new law which would permit private firms to set up shop in the areas close to Peru's archaeological sites.

Protesters branded the law an "affront to the heritage" of the country.

However, some tourists were able Friday to visit Machu Picchu, a 15th century site atop an Andes mountain peak 2,500 meters high and which attracts some 800,000 tourists a year, most of whom travel there by train. The city was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

(LIP-ir) -- After Cusco's 48-hour strike ends Friday evening, flights to the Imperial City will resume once again on Saturday morning, said Carlos Puga, the vice minister of transportation and communication.

The Peruvian Corporation of Airports and Commercial Aviation (CORPAC) closed Velasco Astete Airport at 10 a.m. on February 21 because of violent protests that were taking place in the region.

In an effort to keep passengers safe, airport authorities closed the airport just before protesters surrounded it.

"It is likely that if protests don't stop then the airport will not reopen. We are sorry for the inconvenience this may cause passengers and tourists, but we believe it would be worse if we opened the airport under these circumstances", said the vice minister.

Approximately 500 police officers are guarding the airport to make sure it is not overrun by violent protesters, said Peruvian police colonel Alfonso Chavarri.

The officers were sent from Lima and guarded the airport on Thursday as students and construction workers attempted to take control of it.

Police used tear gas to drive protesters away, who had completely surrounded the airport and tried to get onto the property by making a hole on one of the airport's outside walls.

Upon realizing they could not get into the airport, protesters made their way to the city and had several encounters with Peru's national police.

The majority of Cusco's main roads are completely blocked in some cases protesters are charging those that want to use the road.

(LIP-ir) -- Upon the announcement that people in Cusco would take part in a 24-hour strike on Thursday, Peru's Minster of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Mercedes Araoz, stated she lamented that a law which was to benefit the tourism sector in Cusco had been misinterpreted.

Araoz expressed she was concerned with the way Cusco's people had reacted to the law, which in her opinion, would foster investments in hotels as well as other touristic services that would create jobs and preserve the region's historic monuments.

The law known as the Promoción del Desarrollo Sostenible de Servicios Turísticos en los Bienes Inmuebles Integrantes del Patrimonio Cultural de la Nación has already been voted against in congress and will be voted on again next week.

The law proposes to make it easier for private investors to be awarded concessions - for the construction of hotels - in areas near archaeological sanctuaries and Cusco's historic downtown.

Even though the new law was voted against, Hugo Gonzalez, the regional president of Cusco, announced that a 24-hour strike would begin on Thursday.

Gonzalez explained the strike would be held to make sure the law was rejected once again.

Tourists will not be able to reach Machu Picchu by train on Thursday because of the strike, announced PeruRail. Representatives reported the service had been canceled for that day for safety reasons.